YES LEADers visit the Owego Middle School to talk about managing stress and making safe choices

Seventeen YES LEADers from Owego Free Academy High School stopped by the Owego-Apalachin Middle School to talk to students about managing stress, the dangers of substance abuse, and the importance of making safe choices.

YES LEADS is a peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention program run by YES Safe Choices, and is co-sponsored by Senator Akshar and Lourdes Hospital.

YES trains high school and middle school LEADers, like those from Owego Free Academy, who are role models for younger students. 

At their presentations, YES LEADers use interactive activities that are designed to illustrate the importance of positive self-esteem and how everyday decisions can impact a person’s future. Since YES LEADers stand out in their schools and communities as drug-free role models, younger students look up to them and want to emulate the positive choices they’ve made. 

In addition to visiting classrooms, Owego Free Academy YES LEADers participate in a variety of community outreach events, including sponsoring a food drive for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s Backpack Program. 

For more information on YES Safe Choices, visit www.YesSafeChoices.org.